Ringo Starr sings, “Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues/ And you know it don’t come easy,” but it seemed easy indeed for the rock icon in his recent turn with His All Starr Band at The Anthem in DC recently.

The good-natured Ringo served as ringmaster for an adult rock revue that delighted and elevated the packed house as he and his band thumped through his solo hits, selections by The Beatles, and tunes from band members from Toto, Men at Work, and Average White Band. You might well say Ringo led an outstanding show with a little help from his friends.

The Anthem was abuzz at the mere presence of Ringo Starr on Sept. 17, and Ringo was full of smiles, throwing his signature peace signs to an audience that ate it up. Ringo thrilled the crowd by standing front and center for his solo tunes, where he served as frontman. And thus, he rolled out “It Don’t Come Easy,” “I’m the Greatest,” “Back Off Boogaloo,” and “Photograph” to enthusiastic cheers.

For the select songs by The Beatles, for whom of course Ringo found fame and stardom as the most easygoing drummer in the biz, Ringo sat center stage on a riser at his drum kit, and he pleased the crowd to no end with his renditions of “Yellow Submarine,” “Octopus’s Garden,” and “I Wanna Be Your Man.”

Watch the official music video for “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles on YouTube:

As we mentioned in opening, Ringo wasn’t in this alone. His All-Starr consisted of some of the most excellent and seasoned players of storied bands including Toto, Men at Work, and Average White Band. For his part, Ringo seemed to truly enjoy the company of the powerful Steve Lukather of Toto during the show at The Anthem. Luke stood to Ringo’s right, making it easy for the two to play off each other. Luke also took lead vocal on three of the most memorable songs of the night — “Rosanna,” “Africa,” and “Hold the Line” — three songs he made famous from the Toto catalog. Luke also clearly enjoyed playing the songs with Warren Ham, a utility player from the Toto lineup who impressed with saxophone, bongos, and more upon demand. The gents were having the time of their lives.

From the other side of the stage, the talented Colin Hay led the band through three songs made famous by his old band Men at Work — “Down Under,” “Overkill,” and “Who Can It Be Now?” Colin was wryly humorous in remarking that folks at CVS might not recognize him anymore even when one of his songs are playing in the store as he fulfills his old-man prescriptions. The Anthem received him warmly, however, so he need not fear a lack of recognition from an audience that truly loved his songs.

Watch Colin Hay lead Ringo Starr and His All Starr band in a performance of “Down Under” by Men at Work on YouTube:

Nestled behind Colin Hay sat drummer Gregg Bissonette, who was clearly having the time of his life. Beaming from behind his kit, Bissonette never missed a beat as Ringo paced the band through the big radio hits on the setlist. Gregg’s jocularity was infectious, and his snappy drumming seemed to flow equally from his smile and his deft hands.

Rounding out the band were the remarkable Hamish Stuart of Average White Band and the sharp instrumentalist Buck Johnson on keyboards. Hamish lead the All Star Band through three AWB songs — “Pick Up the Pieces,” “Cut the Cake,” and a cover of “Work to Do” by The Isley Brothers. I personally was least familiar with Hamish and the AWB catalog, but this performance was a stirring introduction go these songs for me. I was surprised to learn afterward that he’s not in the current AWB lineup, which was surprising as he owned those songs in concert.

The show came to a thunderous conclusion thanks to “With a Little Help from My Friends,” a tremendously good feeling as these All Starr friends wrapped their enjoyable romp through radio hits of decades past. The entire affair reminded us that Ringo is at heart a team player, which is one of the things that make him such an excellent fellow. He was just as happy supporting his friends in each of their Starr turns as he was to receive their support in his Beatles and solo tunes.

Catch Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band in concert!

Here are some photos of Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band performing at The Anthem on Sept. 17, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.